[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 20227]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE

  (Mr. WILSON of Ohio asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, today, for the first time in a 
decade, America's minimum wage workers are getting a pay raise.
  The minimum wage increase would never have happened had not 
congressional Democrats made it one of their top priorities when we 
came to Capitol Hill at the beginning of this year.
  During our first 100 hours, House Democrats passed this much-deserved 
pay raise with the support of 82 congressional Republicans. As health 
care and groceries and energy and housing costs skyrocket for the 
average consumer, for many years these needs were ignored for millions 
of Americans.
  And every day the minimum wage was not raised, it lost its value. As 
a matter of fact, the minimum wage was at its lowest level in 
inflation-adjusted terms since 1955. This is simply not fair, and 
that's why the new Democratic Congress has made increasing the minimum 
wage one of its top priorities. And with this increase today, Madam 
Speaker, Democrats are delivering on the promise that we made to the 
American people.

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